


I am not your Weakness

by SarcasticSmiler



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I suppose, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, soul mark au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-08 22:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7776922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarcasticSmiler/pseuds/SarcasticSmiler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A guard and a thief soul mark AU.</p><p>Nori is a thief of circumstance, Dwalin a guardsman of the City Watch.<br/>They meet through somewhat unfortunate circumstances, and things don't particularly get better once they do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I know I shouldn't be starting another fic, but in my defence I've had this started for a long time and have finally found some inspiration to carry on with it.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, oh Mahal’s balls, _fuck_!”

“Nori! What have I told you about swearing around Ori?!” Dori scolded, quickly covering the youngest Ri’s ears at the middle brother’s sudden outburst. Ori, however, was oblivious to his brothers’ words, preferring to give his full attention to drawing on the scrap of pale slate his uncle Bofur had given him with a chunk of charcoal he’d dug out of the hearth.

“It hurts, Dori! Oh Mahal _it fucking hurts_!” Nori bit through gritted teeth, tears pooling on his lashes as he curled in on himself, left wrist cradled against his chest.

Hearing the genuine pain in his younger brother’s voice snapped Dori to attention. With nary a seconds pause he rushed to Nori’s side and pulled him into his arms. Tugging at the younger’s wrist he inspected the irritated skin, watching his suspicion being confirmed as letters began to carve themselves deep into his brother’s flesh.

“Oh Nori,” he breathed, regret and frustration filling him as he knew they didn’t have the money needed to purchase the pain tonics used to knock dwarves out when their soul marks came in. Pulling his brother against him, he hugged Nori fiercely, “We’ll get you through this, I promise, we’ll get you through this.”

Nori just clung to his brother, sobbing as the searing pain emanating from his wrist became too much to bear.

“Dori?” Ori’s quite voice called, his lower lip trembled and tears began to gather as he watched his usually cocky and smiling brother fall apart in Dori’s arms.

“It’s alright, Ori love, go back to your drawing, I’m just going to take Nori to bed. Everything will be just fine,” Dori soothed as he hefted his trembling, sobbing brother into his arms and carried him from the main room of their small home to Nori’s somewhat cramped bedroom.

Gently placing Nori on the small bed, Dori began a frantic search for any form of alcohol that might help numb the pain. His brother was friends with Bofur after all, so it only made sense that there’d be drink somewhere. If he was lucky he’d find some of that alcohol saturated dwarf’s own brew stashed away…

With a triumphant cry he pulled a bottle of clear liquid from the very back of Nori’s small wardrobe, yanking the cork from the top Dori took a precautionary sniff at the contents. Pulling back sharply with a cough and a wince he was satisfied that the rather innocent looking liquid was indeed Bofur’s own brew. Dori was thoroughly convinced a hefty swig of the swill would be enough to take down a full grown Oliphant. He just hoped it’d be enough to block out the pain of a forming soul mark.

“Here, drink Nori,” he coaxed, tipping the bottle against Nori’s lips.

Greedily Nori drank, the alcohol a familiar burn down his throat, making him cough weakly. Painful minutes passed before it began to take effect, his muscles falling lax as his eyes glazed over. Small whimpers still escaped his lips at each new line being carved into his skin, but Dori cooed and murmured soothing nothings to his brother, brushing away reddish brown hair sticking to Nori’s damp skin.

“We’ll get you through this, Nori, we’ll get you though.”

-x-

Balin sat at his brother’s bedside, watching the steady rise and fall of the younger’s chest. As soon as the burning pain of his forming soul mark had started Dwalin had been given a potent pain tonic and bundled off to bed. The older son of Fundin had promised to keep vigil over the younger as his soul mark carved itself into the flesh of his right wrist.

Running his thumb over his own soul mark, Balin sighed. If he had his way they’d find Dwalin’s other half before he lost them forever. The pale, silvery, scar like letters upon his own wrist a painful reminder of what he’d lost to the dragon before he’d even known they were there. He remembered the day he awoke from his own tonic induced sleep, blood bright letters etched into the skin of his wrist. Barely past his majority, he’d still clung to adolescent dreams of finding his One, the match to his mark, believing that surely his search would be quick and easy. He soon learnt that the dreams of the young do not often flourish under the weight of maturity.

A quiet groan quickly shifted his focus back to the bed, his younger sibling stirring as the pain made itself known through the fog of artificial sleep.

“Drink, Dwalin, drink and all will be well,” he murmured, tipping the vial of cloudy liquid against his brother’s lips, coaxing his throat to swallow.

As his brother relaxed back into pain-free dreams Balin returned to his seat, thinking on the oddity of soul marks. It was a strange thing indeed that marks which should bring such joy were given in such pain. It was no longer known why the pain was present during the marking, some speculated that it was because Mahal himself burned the marks into their flesh with the fire of his forges. Others believed that it was a wound meant to remind a warrior of their greatest weakness. Strike at the wound, the weakness, and a warrior can falter. The fact that a mark took on the appearance of scars when the dwarf who bore the name returned to Mahal’s Halls seemed to only lend further credence for those who held the belief. There were then those who maintained the thought that gaining a mark was simply another form of body modification, though not a chosen one, so it should be expected to come with some form of pain and discomfort. After all, one did not go to the tattooists shop expecting to feel nothing as ink covered needles were hammered into the skin.

Dwalin, he knew, generally favoured the latter belief. Though he could also curse them as wounds and weaknesses if he was of a mind, having seen far too many dwarves break from failing to protect their marks in their misguided attempt at routing the orc hoards from Moria. Balin himself wasn’t sure what to believe though he enjoyed the speculations.


	2. Chapter 2

Dwalin couldn't say whether he hated or enjoyed the formal dances held by the nobility of Ered Luin. In general they'd been nothing but a disappointment. No matter how many turns he took on the dancefloor, bulky form easing through the practiced steps and motions designed to show off one's wrists to as many potential partners as possible, he'd never found his 'Nori of Ri', he'd never seen his own name carved into skin. But the food was good, the ale plentiful, and watching Thorin trying to avoid amorous dwarrow making attempts to get him to dance was always entertaining.

"Should you not be out there? Protecting our King?" Balin asked appearing at Dwalin's side, an amused smile curving his lips.

"I think his Majesty is doin’ fine on his own, and I've transferred from the Royal Guard, brother, y'know this," Dwalin shrugged.

"Ah, yes. Found yourself a place amongst the City Watch. A dangerous position I've heard."

"I've battled the orcs of Khazad-dûm and survived, I doubt there's anything more dangerous than that."

“Perhaps, but the common folk can be crafty in ways orcs cannot.”

“Either way,” Dwalin shrugged, “at least I’ll actually be _doing_ something for once, and not just standing round here listenin’ to their pointless twitterin’.”

“The discussion of politics is not always as pointless as you would deem it, brother,” Balin chuckled, “Though I suppose it doesn’t move quite fast enough for your liking.”

Dwalin merely grunted in answer, taking a hefty swig of ale.

“When do you leave?”

“Two days from now I’m to report to the Captain of the Watch.”

“It is a shame you’ll miss my newest students then,” Balin hummed.

“New ones already? You’ve only just gotten rid of the others.”

“Yes, well I thought it best as the fees from the first can help compensate some of the losses from the second.”

“Balin, speak plainly, I’m not of a mind to untangle your words tonight.”

“I’ve decided to take on a rather promising student from the lower class.”

“They can afford it?”

“No, not normally but the lad is bright, unexpectedly so in fact.”

“And?” Dwalin prompted, scowling at a dwarrowdam eyeing up his wrists.

“Well, with such a promising student I decided to lower the fee for him to an almost negligible amount.”

“Balin,” Dwalin groaned, “You cannot afford to offer such charity.”

“As I said, the fees from the first will compensate my loss, and I have the full fees of the others I plan to take on.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, brother.”

“Rest assured, with such a promising lad, I’ll regain my lost finances in time,” Balin said, waving off Dwalin’s worries.

-x-

Nori blinked, slowly, not quite understanding what had happened.

Dori sat, slumped, at their rickety kitchen table, one hand curled around a chipped mug of tea, while the other took up the futile task of massaging the ache from his temples.

Things like this just _didn’t happen_ to dwarrow like them.

“I couldn’t turn him down, Nori,” Dori sighed, defeated, “Just the _look_ on little Ori’s face, I couldn’t take that away from him.”

“But…” Nori started, eyes flicking to the back rooms where Ori was tucked up and fast asleep in the bed he shared with Dori.

“It’s a _chance_ , Nori, a chance to get out of here, _away_ from here, to make something of himself.”

“But it’s _so much_ money, we don’t _have_ that kind of money,” Nori pointed out, all but collapsing in a boneless, dejected heap in the chair opposite his brother.

“I know. But I can take on more work, you can get a jo…”

Nori’s bitter laugh stopped Dori mid-sentence, “No respectable dwarrow round here will hire me, Dori, y’know this. I’m a thief, they won’t want my sticky fingers anywhere near them.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Dori grit out, anger spiking at the thought of what their situation had pushed his brother into.

“No,” Nori agreed, “It wasn’t my fault, but it _was_ my choice.”

“Nori,” Dori pleaded.

“When does he start, Dori? When is the first payment due?” Nori asked, a defeated curve to his shoulders.

“Beginning of the week, we have five days to find the money.”

“Fine,” standing from the table, Nori tugged on his previously discarded jacket, “I should be back before the week is out.”

“Nori, don’t,” Dori pleaded again, reaching out to grasp Nori’s jacket.

“We have no choice this time, Dori, I _have_ to do it. As you said, this is a _chance_ for Ori, we’ll not be the ones to deny him that.”

Untangling himself from Dori’s grip, Nori slipped out of the door and into the night. He had ‘opportunities’ to find…and quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does this story have to fight me so damn much? It's rather annoying and it's only just begun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - this chapter contains dubcon in that Nori consents but doesn't really want to.

Ducking into the darkened space between two buildings, Nori held his breath, even as his lungs protested the action. The sound of the guard’s boots on the dusty ground pounded in time with his frantic heart. He’d had bare moments to hide before the guard barrelled past him, scowl on his face as he kept a constant grip on his axe.

He had been _so close_ to swiping the jewelled necklace from the stand, the general hustle and bustle of the Middle Market easily hiding his intentions. His pockets already contained the fruits of quick fingers and inattentive dwarrow – beads, rings, hairpins, and bracelets. All would contribute something for Ori’s fee, but the necklace would’ve offered more. At least half, if he could break it down in time and find the right buyers.

But he’d been spotted.

It was a guard he’d never seen before, tall and broad, with a great crest of dark hair. New to the City Watch, but keen eyed enough to see Nori’s sticky fingers at work.

With few options left to him, Nori bolted.

The guard had been fast, and surprisingly agile, keeping up with Nori as he weaved through the crowd and darted down side alleys. If he hadn’t of known these streets and darkened alleyways like the back of his hand, Nori was sure he would’ve been caught. But now he slumped between the buildings, catching his breath while he tried to figure out his next move.

He couldn’t return to the market, not today, the new guard would be keeping an eye out for him now, and he had no time to figure out his blind spots and weaknesses. Any other time he would’ve gleefully taken up the challenge, but he had a fast approaching deadline to keep and not enough trinkets to pay Ori’s way.

He’d have to go to the nearby town of Men, at least a half day’s journey from Ered Luin. The opportunities it offered would be less than the Middle Market, even on a slow day, but the town often had trade caravans passing through. Nori could only hope that one would pass though soon.

Peeking out from his shadowed cover to make sure he was truly alone, Nori slipped from his hiding place. Knocking the dust from his jacket in a decidedly Dori-esque manner, he took stock of his surroundings, deciding on the best route to take out. Eyes drifting to the rooftops, Nori grunted quietly to himself in satisfaction.

Scaling the wall was almost laughably easy. He took a few moments, once on the roof, to find the new guard. The great hulk of a dwarrow was wading through the market crowd, deep scowl still etched on his face as he scanned the faces of those around him.

Satisfied he’d not be caught anytime soon, Nori turned his attention to his clothing again, securing his purloined trinkets, palming a few of his favourite knives, and fixing the strip of fabric tied around his wrist. In his profession, it wasn’t safe to advertise the name of your Mark, especially if you didn’t actually know who they were. Though Nori was sure his Mark would be able to defend themselves, they were a dwarf after all, he didn’t want to run the risk of a rival attacking them without warning. He might be a thief but he still had _some_ morals and honour remaining.

Taking a breath and a quick look to check the guard’s whereabouts, Nori was off, the rooftops keeping him from view as he made his way out of the settlement and to the long road ahead.

-x-

The town of Men wasn’t quite as fruitful as Nori was hoping it’d be. He’d sold the few trinkets he’d managed to slip from wealthier dwarrow, but the town itself had little to offer, waiting as they were for a caravan due two days past the deadline Nori was working towards, he’d missed the previous caravan by a week.

As evening had drawn in he’d slunk into a tavern, seedy and a bit disreputable, to perch on a too tall stool and nurse a half pint of ale as he sifted through what few options remained. The coins he’d earned from the trinkets were barely enough to cover even a third of the fee and he was running out of time.

In his tightening grip the mug of ale gave a strained groan as he cursed the new guard that made his job harder than it should be, and the presumptuous, arrogant Nob that set the fee in the first place.

“Don’t often see dwarves in ‘ere.”

“For good reason,” Nori muttered, not even glancing at the Man that sat, uninvited, on the stool next to him.

“Never had a dwarf before. What say you to a tumble?” the Man asked, reaching out to stroke the simple, long braid running down the length of Nori’s back.

“What say you to backing off?” Nori countered with a growl, jerking his hair from reach while pressing the point of a dagger against the hollow of the Man’s throat.

“I mean no ‘arm,” he quickly retreated, holding his hands up, palm out, “Just though you wouldn’t mind a bit a fun. I’d pay you for it if you want.”

“Why?” Nori asked, narrowed eyes gaging the less than appealing Man before him.

“Never been with a dwarf before, thought it might be interestin’, what with you bein’ all small,” Nori sneered at the grin sent his way, Dori’s old broken comb had more teeth than the Man did, “Pay you ‘andsomely I would too.”

“How much?” Nori almost couldn’t believe the words even as he spoke them.

Grin growing, the Man dropped a coin pouch on the bar before him, it’s golden contents spilling out on the scarred, drink tacky top.

“All o’that.”

Nori swallowed, hard. Quick fingers and quicker eyes calculating the amount.

It’d be enough to cover the first payment for Ori’s tuition, with enough left over to feed them for a month, longer if they rationed it.

He couldn’t say no.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t actually _want_ to do it.

They needed the money. Ori deserved a better life than what they had.

Eyes flicking to his fabric wrapped wrist, he felt guilt sit heavily in his stomach.

He didn’t _want_ to do this.

_But he had no choice._

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Nori conceded, quickly sweeping the coins back into their pouch to hide them away in his coat, his knife soon following suit, “Lead the way.”

-x-

He was back on the road to Ered Luin by midnight, the stars his only witnesses to halting steps and pained winces.

It had been just as, if not more, unpleasant as he’d expected it to be. But he had the money they needed, and that was all he was going to focus on.

Not the tender flesh on his hips and thighs, threatening to bruise.

Not the lancing pain up his back passage with every step.

Not the guilt filling his chest or the unclean feeling creeping over his skin.

The money was the important part, the _only_ part to focus on.

-x-

Dawn was fast approaching by the time Nori arrived home, but, standing before the old worn door, he hesitated. He couldn’t face his brothers, not yet, not after what he’d done.

With a sigh, he turned from the door to slip down the side of the building, quickly finding the hand and footholds needed to get him onto the roof. Carefully settling into his favourite spot in the shadow of the chimney, Nori watched the golden glow of lights flickering to life in the slums of Ered Luin as families prepared for a new day.

“Are you out there?” he murmured tugging at the knot keeping the fabric wrapped around his wrist, “Are you happy? Do you wonder where _I_ am?”

It was a childish fancy, talking to his One, his Mark, but it was a habit he couldn’t quite rid himself of.

“Perhaps you’re not out there, you could be anyone,” Nori sighed, brushing his thumb over the name writ upon his skin, “Maybe you’re a merchant, or a craftsman. I know you’re not a miner or a tinker…unless you don’t even live here at all.”

A sudden burst of drunken laughter from the street below startled him. It was habit, old and learned, that had him jerking his wrist to his chest, hiding the words as he peered over the eaves to watch two dusty miners weaving their way down the path, oblivious to the grotty world waking around them in favour of tall tales and more drink.

With a tired chuckle, Nori returned to his seat against the chimney, fingers gently tracing blood red letters again.

“Dori says when you find your mark everything gets better. I’m not sure that’s true, a bit too romantic, but it’s a nice thought to have I suppose. Maybe you have money. Not having to worry about the next meal or fee to pay must be nice. Not having to…” Nori trailed off, not able to voice the things he’d done for money to keep his brothers fed, to give Ori a better life.

Sighing, he rested his head against the warming stone of the chimney, everything ached and all he wanted to do was take a hefty swig of Bofur’s brew, curl up in bed, and pretend the world didn’t exist for a while, “Where are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of been proofread, but not properly. I got a new puppy today so this has to be posted while he sleeps.

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter WILL be up soon, either this evening or tomorrow, but for now I hope that start wasn't too bad (I've read it so many damn times that I'm actually sick of it).  
> I should warn that there's probably going to be some ooc in this, but bare with me as there's probably (hopefully) a reason for it.  
> Also my update habits are sporadic at best, so apologies in advance for that.


End file.
